The Nuclear Regulatory Commission has assigned several of
its senior managers to a task force that will examine U.S. reactor safety in
light of the Fukushima Daiichi accident in Japan.
The president called for a review of plant safety in the
wake of Japan’s multiple-reactor crisis triggered by an earthquake March 11, and
the NRC soon after announced it will conduct both near-term and long-term
reviews at all U.S. nuclear power plants.
According to a Friday NRC release, a task force will draw on information
from existing inspections and other sources to confirm the availability of
emergency equipment at plants and their spent fuel tanks. It also will examine
emergency procedures and consider whether any immediate enhancements need to be
made to NRC regulations, inspections or licensing procedures.
“The task force will talk to agency technical experts and
gather information to conduct a comprehensive review of the information from
the events at the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear complex and make recommendations
for any improvements needed to our regulatory system,” Dr. Charles Miller, director
of the NRC’s Office of Federal and State Materials and Environmental Management
Programs, said in the release. “We plan to provide our observations,
conclusions and recommendations in a written report that will be made public
approximately 90 days after we start our review.”
Miller will head the task force. He is joined by Deputy
Director of the Office of Nuclear Material Safety and Safeguards Daniel Dorman,
Deputy Director of the Office of Nuclear Reactor Regulation Jack Grobe, Deputy
Director of the Office of New Reactors Gary Holahan, Office of the Executive
Director executive technical assistant Nathan Sanfilippo and Office of New
Reactors team leader Amy Cubbage.
According to the release, the task force will brief the NRC
on May 12 and June 16. The task force is
scheduled to present its recommendations at a July 19 commission meeting.